The Towering Inferno

1974

Action / Drama / Thriller

39
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 72% · 39 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 72% · 25K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.0/10 10 51945 51.9K

disaster film rescue helicopter fire san francisco, california skyscraper

Plot summary

At the opening party of a colossal—but poorly constructed—skyscraper, a massive fire breaks out, threatening to destroy the tower and everyone in it.

Director

John Guillermin Photo
John Guillermin

Top cast

Ethelreda Leopold Photo
Ethelreda Leopold as Party Guest
William Bassett Photo
William Bassett as Leasing Agent
Paul Newman Photo
Paul Newman as Doug Roberts
Steve McQueen Photo
Steve McQueen as Chief O'Hallorhan
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
1.35 GB
1280*548
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
2 hr 45 min
Seeds 10
2.62 GB
1904*816
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
2 hr 45 min
Seeds 64

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by paulclaassen 7 / 10

Still one of the best disaster movies ever made!

Incredibly, 'The Towering Inferno' holds so well by today's standards that it is still one of the best disaster movies of its kind ever made. I can only imagine what it must have been like seeing this in a theatre almost four decades ago.The attention to detail is fantastic, and I enjoyed everything from the character set-up to the way the disaster unfolded. The very scale of this ambitious film is mindboggling. Paul Newman and Steve McQueen are excellent in their respective roles, both making credible and likable heroes.'The Towering Inferno' is a very detailed account of a skyscraper fire disaster. This is realistic and believable and the visual effects are incredible considering it was made way back in 1974. No CGI. Just practical effects, and real danger! This was a fascinating thrill ride! I love it!
Reviewed by snoozejonc 7 / 10

Must see movie within the disaster genre

A San Francisco sky scraper catches fire and the emergency services battle to save the civilians trapped inside.The Towering Inferno is a spectacle that holds up well against the technology of modern day movies. When you consider what it achieves without the use of computer generated imagery I think it should be considered one of the best of its genre.Some of the set-pieces truly are amazing, particularly when you see actors and stunt performers doing such ridiculous things for the sake of the perfect shot.I imagine must have seemed quite fantastical at the time of its release, but considering it within the context of events that have occurred during this century such as the 9-11, Grenfell and Beirut, it is pretty frightening in it's plausibility.The film shows total respect to the emergency services who deal with these type of situations, particularly the fire brigade who's courage and calmness under pressure are epitomised by Steve McQueen's character. I love the scene where he walks into the party, takes charge of the situation by quietly telling the owner of the building what to do.The plot and characters (aside from McQueen and Paul Newman) are the aspects of the movie that could have been better. I did feel it's run-time of 165 minutes. It's quite slow to get going and at times loses focus on the most compelling parts of the film. Some of the characters and moments feel like they have been lifted from The Poseidon Adventure.Overall though it is a must see disaster movie and one that will definitely help appreciate the importance of fire safety in the design and construction of buildings.I watched it recently with my four and a half year old daughter who was gripped by the action when it finished she told me she wants to be a fire-fighter when she grows up.
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